I honestly love how much Anita has evolved throughout the books, and how she’s grown to not only accept her life, but to thrive within the relationships she’s formed for herself. She’s become a lot more mature, as well as a lot more powerful, and I think that with such a long series it’s only logical that the character would evolve over such a long period of time.

I feel that Anita has changed since the beginning of the series. I feel that she is a strong female character and that she has changed for the better. I feel that out of all the female characters that are in either movies or other books, if they get injured or hurt in anyway they tend to have a male character come in and save them. Anita is the type of person who if she gets hurt there is no male to save her. She tends to be the one doing the saving. Example is in Obsidian Butterfly when Edward gets hurt, she is the one who takes command and even though she gets kidnapped she doesn’t wait for Edward or Olaf or even Bernardo to come and save her. She uses her smarts and gets out of the predicament. As for too much sex in the book, unfortunately she is a succubus, and as mythology tells us, they gain power from sex. Yes there is the necromancy but the readers are aware of how that power is hers and hers alone. The sex scenes are there to help us understand what Anita needs to do to learn to control it, rather than have it control her.

I think the sex became too much. My argument isn’t against a strong sexual component in general – I love the Merry Gentry series also. My problem was that what was happening seemed like Anita going against herself, compromising her beliefs and feelings, and acting counter to the history of the character that we had up until the point where the ardeur exploded. I also don’t think all the sex is freeing for anita – I think the ardeur and what she does is a burden, so it’s not like she’s become more independent or anything. Anita was already independent, and had a good sex life, before the ardeur. And Anita showed some of the best character growth and change of any character I’d ever encountered, long before the ardeur popped up.

I think she has change for the better. Her character development is what makes the series. If she did not grow the books would become bland.

I had trouble at first when she began to change so fast…but as in real life most changes are forced upon us and are quick. So I think she handled it wonderfully. I love her and her changes!

I think Anita has changed the right amount. In the beginning she was extremely uncomfortable with who and what she was. As the series has evolved and life has thrown her more curveballs she has become more accepting of who and what she is. That is something I find refreshing especially from a character whose life is so far from normal.

Anita has changed alot through the series, but I don’t think she has changed too much. With so many books I think she has to change or no one is going to be reading. How much fun would it be if she was still the prude who wouldn’t let JC and Richard so much as touch her? As her powers have grown, she has matured, but still throws a fit about stuff (everyone has bad habits, right?) The one thing that never changes though (and what I love about Anita the most) is she will protect her people at any cost.

I love the fact that Anita is growing and changing. I’m hopeful that she will soon stop freaking out about the sex and just be happy. I thought the sex scenes were good, although I am happy to see more of the mystery element again. At times it felt we were just moving from one menage to another without moving the plot much. I want Anita to continue to grow and enjoy her loves without feeling so guilty. (As she is/was Catholic, I can understand the guilty feelings she has to overcome.) There is so much complexity to what she writes and we only see pieces of it. There are many threads of her life I would love to see played out, things that have been hinted about; meeting her father and family, healing Asher, going to Paris, solidifying her relationship with JC, healing Richard (or geting over him), and maybe develop a new girl friend relationship. However Laurell does it, I will be here to devour each page and enjoy discussing with friends.

I love the Anita Blake series. It is my all time favorite book series. I think the changes Anita goes through only enhances the character even more. I liked the series early on when Anita wasn’t overtly sexual, and I like her even more now. The world that LKH has created is so unusual in itself, that of course the main character should be equally unusual. All LKH’s characters are so personable that the series just can’t help but to grab your interest and not let go. All I can say is that I can’t get enough of Anita Blake.

I do not think Anita has changed too much. I have found it a refreshing change that she got out of her way and has allowed herself happiness. She is still a smart, strong, and loyal woman; just now she has stopped imposing rules on herself that her life doesn’t fit into. It’s allowed not only her to be happy, but has made all the people in her life that much happier too.

Anita’s changes have been bittersweet for me. The things that made her Anita had to evolve in order for her to make room for new people and relationships in her life. Some of her new developments have made me sad, or even angry at her, such as relying more on metaphysical powers and less on wit and a quick trigger finger. But on the other hand, being allowed the insight into other characters has been intriguing and made the series worth keeping around. I know this seems strange, since the eroticism is such a big part of the series, but if I could change one thing about the books it would be the drawn out sex scenes. It really cuts in on the ass-kicking.

Change is the only contant thing in life. Anita has to change/evolve as a character as we do in real life. I know that if I look at my life 10 years ago, I can compara and say I have changed. Anita has come to realize that she can deny who she is and that’s the best path to a healthy life. The fact that she can look at herself in the mirror and accept and live with who she is is an example to the rest of us. Anita is inspiring, and I wrote a blog about how she has inspire me http://www.scorpiovampire.com/how-anita-blake-helped-me/
Anita is a friend who you can always count on that will do anything for those around her.

I often get fed up with the readers that keep saying she’s having too much sex. Well, is that all they get from the books? There is so much more to learn from Anita that it should be required reading in college!!
She’s confident, passionate about her beliefs, strong, caring, independent, and funny.

I do not mind the changes that have taken place through-out the series. I like both the old and newer books. I think the changes are the same as any character would develop through a series/life. Anita’s just happen to have a lot of sex and men. There is nothing wrong with that. Now, if the stories just had random sex scenes that did not fit into the story, I might feel different. There are some books that I feel have “token” sex scenes just because the author felt pressure to add the scene in (or at least that is how it read to me), that drives me nuts.

Like several of the people who have mentioned this already, I get sick of hearing people complain about the amount of sex in the books. If you do not like them any more, then quit reading them. It is a free country and Anita Blake is not required reading (well, maybe it is in my house, but anyway), you get my point.

Has Anita changed? You betcha. If you have read the series from book one, then you have gone through the growing pains right along with Anita. She has gone from a shy, insecure Catholic girl who was so uncomfortable with her abilities and sexual desire’s to a confident Catholic woman who is very capable of taking care of herself and those she has become responsible for, by choice and by accident. She hasn’t let her power corrupt her or twist her, though the temptation is always there. So has she changed? Yes. Every character in this series has. The one that has changed the lease is, unsurprisingly, Jean Claude.

I think Anita has matured and grown not only mentally but emotionaly. Every new book gives you an insight into Anita’s life and mind. It let’s you follow along and even though you know she is fictional most can relate to her desires. Who doesn’t wish they. Could sleep with more than one good looking guy and not worry about complications. Go Anita.

I find that Anita’s changes have been exactly what they needed to be. No less, no more. The sex does not bother me at all, especially as it is part of the plot. The thing some seem to miss is what she learns during the sex and what she and her partner(s) gain. The glimpse into that characters “hearts desire”. Besides, without the sex we would not have Micah! I totally agree with Jaimie, the sex had to happen in order to understand the ardeur. I recently went back and re-read the series from the beginning, and the changes are all part of the character flow. For whatever reason, some people only see the sex, not the reason for doing it or the end result of it. I love the books and for me at this moment I must say, if LKH keeps writing them, I will keep reading them!

I started reading the Anita black series a LONG time ago so its a little hard to remember everything but I’ll still answer to the best of my ability. I think Anita has come a long way from the woman she was in regards to emotion, values, morals, etc and for the most part I think it has been a positive change. I think she is more open to loving others, being loved by others, and most importantly loving herself. While there is a lot of controversy regarding the rather large quantity of her male sexual partners there is a reason for that. I think she has come a very significantly long way to accepting the Ardeur and enjoying some of the benefits (ohhhhh the benefits…I wish I had those benefits ) I will say that I hope to see a little more writing surrounding the vampire/shifter community/politics and just a teny tiny less sex. Great giveaway!

“What do you think about Anita Blake? Has she changed too much or just enough?”

When reading the first few Anita books I loved them but I felt something was missing. I could not put my finger on it but I know something was different with this series than the other books that I read. I finally figured out that it was the intimacy, the touch of others, the sex if you will; that was missing. It was when Anita started opening up to her people, to herself, that books really became amazing for me. Sometimes Anita still gets hung up on issues that I thought she would have worked out by now but that is what makes her such an interesting character. She really believes in her religion and her upbringing; which makes it hard when things like the Ardeur take control. She is such a strong, brave, courageous woman that it is understandable when she gets scared when she does not have that control. I think that is why it was so hard for her to give in to Nathanial, because he never had control and when he did he would willingly give it away… She did not understand that. Anita is one of the best literary characters of the generation. Our women need these strong, independent women to learn from. Anita is one of my heroes!

Thanks for this great opportunity!